Henssler & Henssler is a modern sushi restaurant in Altona, Hamburg.
Werner and Steffen Henssler's Hamburg sushi room on Grosse Elbstrasse runs a 20-metre open kitchen above the Fischmarkt, the family's Cuisine Pacifique since 2001.
Must order: The California-style maki and the teriyaki Faroe salmon.
Tip: Walk-up counter seats open at 18:00; arrive before to skip the wait.
Address: Grosse Elbstrasse 160, 22767 Hamburg
Elisabeth Fuengers and Steffen Hellmann's Nil on Neuer Pferdemarkt in Hamburg's St Pauli has run a modern German bistro over three floors since 1989.
Order: The monthly four-course set menu; the daily fish course rotates.
Tip: Walk-ins possible early; bookings open online 30 days ahead for the busier weekend slots.
Cox on Lange Reihe in Hamburg's St Georg has run a modern German bistro across a tight room for over two decades, with reliable lunch and dinner service.
Order: The daily lunch special; the steak frites at dinner.
Tip: Lunch tables move quickly between 12:30 and 13:30; book ahead for dinner Friday and Saturday.
Cafe Paris on Rathausstrasse near Hamburg's Rathaus runs an art nouveau French brasserie open daily from 09:00, with bistro classics until midnight.
Order: The Steak frites and a glass of house red.
Tip: Open daily; kitchen closes at 22:30 Mon to Sat, 21:30 Sun. The ground-floor saal is the busy room.
Salt and Silver Lateinamerika on St Pauli Hafenstrasse in Hamburg cooks ceviche, asado and modern Latin American small plates above the Elbe.
Order: The ceviche of the day and the wood-grilled meats.
Tip: Bistro Crudo runs in the basement on the left; main dining room on the ground floor on the right.
MOMO Ramen on Margaretenstrasse near Hamburg's Sternschanze is the only ramen room in Germany listed in the Michelin Guide, with house-made noodles and regional broths.
Order: The Shoyu ramen; the spicy Sapporo bowl in winter.
Tip: Walk-in only; queues build between 19:00 and 21:00. Vegan ramen on the menu.
Erika's Eck on the corner of Sternstrasse and Kampstrasse in Hamburg's Schanzenviertel has cooked oversized Schnitzel and Imbiss plates from a wood-panelled corner tavern for over four decades.
Order: The Schnitzel mit Bratkartoffeln; the open-faced Mettwurst Strammer Max at the bar.
Tip: Hours vary by day: Mon 17:00 to 23:00, Tue and Wed open from 07:00, Fri runs through continuously and weekends split between an early-morning shift and an evening shift. Cash and card both accepted.
